by SASAKI Gakuto (b. 1983)
Heisei period, 2012
Dry lacquer form, kanshitsu, with innovative lacquer finishes, kawarinuri
13 x 31 x 22 (h) cm Sealed. Signed and sealed storage box.
This work invites the viewer to suspend preconceptions. At first sight the appearance is familiar – stacking boxes, perhaps a modern interpretation of the traditional Japanese food container, jubako. The use of high-grade, tooled leather is an interesting innovation, although the laced fastenings seem perhaps a strangely complex choice, compared to the traditional free-stacking boxes.
Touch it, however, and it is immediately apparent that a far more radical reappraisal is necessary. There is no leather, tooling or natural wear, there are no cotton laces or metal. All is recreated in lacquer.
Sasaki-san is a graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts where he now teaches. His fascination is with the concept of 'fine quality' craft and the essential role that this plays in our daily lives. He believes that a piece created by a dedicated maker with fine tools only starts to develop its story when it is handed to a user.
'Fine quality' always adds joy to our life, making it more colourful. I hope that great stories will be composed by using my works, and I will keep striving for this purpose. Craft work made by hand can be a turning point for us to consider what can be a truly wealthy life with fine quality in this society of mass consumption.